Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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153. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if Irish students who moved outside of the European Union for a number of years and completed their primary and secondary education abroad will be classified as foreign students if they return to Ireland for third level education; if they will be required to pay student fees and registration fees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5083/15]

Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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154. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the position of emigrants hoping to return home to enter into full-time third level education; her further views on a policy that will accommodate their needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5084/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 153 and 154 together.

As the Deputy is aware the Exchequer funds tuition fees costs in respect of eligible students who are pursuing full-time undergraduate courses of study under my Department's Free Fees Initiative. The main conditions of the scheme are that students must be first-time undergraduates, hold inter alia EU/EEA/Swiss nationality in their own right, and have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course.

Where full-time undergraduate students do not qualify for free fees they must pay the appropriate fee as determined by their third level institution.

In the case of students who do not meet the residency clause, higher education institutions have been requested to charge the more moderate EU fee to EU/EEA/Swiss nationals who have completed at least five academic years of study (Primary or Post-Primary level) in the EU/EEA or Switzerland.